Page 65 of Intolerable Bishop

“Needed something to do.” I tossed the towel in the hamper and put the water bottle on the small counter to be cleaned.

I could feel his eyes watching me as I washed my hands. I dared to glance back and wished I hadn’t. He was leaning against the door frame, undeniably sexy in his brooding way. He’d changed into a simple black t-shirt and ripped black jeans, and he wore the silver chain with the skull pendant that I got him around his neck. Liam was obsessed with skulls. It didn’t matter if they were crystal, metal, painted, hangable, or wearable. He had them all.

Wiping my hands off, I walked toward him and drank in the casual pose that somehow still ordered obedience. His dark caramel eyes locked with mine, but I wasn’t going to fall at his feet for forgiveness. When it came to girls, we’d always had an open-door policy, and I wasn’t sorry about what happened between me and Ren.

As I reached him, his eyes traveled up and down my body, and I fought off the reaction that I always had to his domineering side. I cocked a brow at him, questioning why he wasn’t moving out of the way. Finally, Liam stepped back, and I followed him over to the couch and the bag of food. The silence between us was as heavy as the weights. I had no idea what he was going to say about this. I genuinely hadn’t expected him to ghost me the way he did.

“I got you the ravioli you like from Dolce Vita,” I said, tearing open the side of the bag and handing him the container and utensils. I wasn’t a scotch fan, nor was I a smoker, but Liam had been enjoying both since we were fourteen. Emmett didn’t seem to care, and if it weren’t for Nash, Liam would be more than just a casual smoker. The hours he sat at the underground poker tables with everyone else smoking would do that to you.

I walked over to the bar and grabbed two glasses before returning and pouring us each a drink.

Pulling out my meal, I stared at the lid but couldn’t sit in silence like this. “Why are you so pissed off with me?” I held up my hand to stop the denial that I was sure was on the tip of his tongue. “Please don’t lie to me. You’ve never been cold like this. Not with me, so what gives?”

“Like I said, I’m not angry. I’m annoyed.” Liam popped a ravioli whole into his mouth.

“You’re splitting hairs.”

“And you’re not seeing the whole picture but chose to drag me into the mess without speaking to me.”

I regarded his face and hated how he never gave anything away about what he was thinking or feeling. I’d learned to read him pretty well, but on days like today, when he was purposely keeping me on my toes, I had no clue.

Sighing with frustration, I sat back and stared at him. “Fine, enlighten me.”

Liam casually ate a few more pieces of his pasta before grabbing his glass of scotch and knocking it back in a single shot. He was building up for a good rant. I could see it coming.

“Fine. I don’t care that you slept with a girl. I care about who you slept with,” he said and sat back, his eyes locked on me.

“So, you’re ‘annoyed’ because it’s Ren?” He nodded. “Tell me why?”

“This should be obvious,” he said, and the muscle in my jaw twitched.

“Apparently not to some of us, so please share,” I said cooly.

Liam polished off his meal, then sat back and crossed his arms. “Theo, we have always done the one-night thing. Either together or separately, girls have always been hit ‘em and quit ‘em. No strings, no emotions, no long-lasting relationships. It was to scratch an itch and sometimes even scratch it together.” Shit, I knew where this was going now, but I wasn’t going to admit what he was insinuating unless forced.

“And?”

“And?” Liam lost some of his cool and jumped up to pace the room. “And?” It was an asshole move, but I loved that I could make him like this. It was wholly satisfying to watch him turn himself inside out as he became annoyed and lost for words. I may have pushed him to this point once or twice just so that we could have incredible makeup sex afterward.

“Theo, she is in our inner circle. We have protected her and killed for her. Ren isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. She owns Myles and Blake completely. Not to mention that I can see Nash fighting the same spell she is casting. She is no one and done.”

“And this is a problem?”

“Yes.”

“Okay. Tell me why?”

He narrowed his eyes at me. “This could all blow the fuck up. It could destroy everything we have worked so hard for and what we have fought to protect. Not just between us but all of us. Trust me, I’ve run the odds, and this ending well is not something I’d place a winning bet on.”

“I didn’t plan to sleep with her. I told you what happened,” I said.

“Sure, but you also left out how you feel about her, and don’t bother trying to deny it. I saw it in your eyes. You’ve only given me that look, so I know it well.”

I smirked as my blood heated. The possessiveness that I knew was in him started to emerge.

“I still give you that look. I’m giving it to you right now and would’ve all week if you hadn’t been ignoring me,” I said, and he practically snarled at me. Fuck yes.

“Again, not the point. Fine, you want me to spell it out for you. You like Ren, maybe don’t love her yet, but you fucking like her, and you want her, which is exactly what Blake saw.”